Update on Colorado Fires From Verizon Wireless

In times of crisis and natural disaster, communications can be critical in coordinating emergency and relief efforts. As firefighters tackle the fires in Bailey, wireless usage on the Verizon Wireless network has more than doubled. To help meet the communications needs of firefighters and emergency relief organizations, Verizon Wireless is donating wireless phones and service and increasing the capacity and coverage of the network in the Bailey area.

Key Facts

The Verizon Wireless Significant Event Response Team (SERT) has provided 10 phones to the Platte Canyon Fire and Rescue Team.

3 additional phones were delivered to Douglas County to meet its immediate communications needs.

The SERT Team has more than 200 phones programmed and available for any emergency management personnel.

Verizon Wireless local crews have taken the necessary steps to maintain the network in the Bailey area. To help accommodate the increase in call volumes, crews have doubled the capacity of the cell site serving Bailey and have increased the coverage area by 200 square miles.

Due to the increase in call volumes on the network, Verizon Wireless asks that customers limit any non-emergency calls.

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 18 million wireless voice and data customers and nearly 4 million paging customers. The new coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE:BEL) and Vodafone AirTouch Plc (LSE:VOD; NYSE:VOD). Verizon Wireless will be further strengthened by the addition of the wireless assets of GTE Corp. (NYSE:GTE) when it completes its merger with Bell Atlantic.

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